On 27 September 2016 Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) replied to the questions of 2 May 2016 that REDWatch asked of LAHC, FaCS Housing and UrbanGrowth Central to Eveleigh who shared various responsibilities at the time for aspects of the Waterloo public housing estate and its redevelopment. Since this time it has become apparent that LAHC are driving this process through its new Communities Plus mechanism rather than through UrbanGrowth who undertook much of the early work. The written responses are quite general responses to the issue areas raised by REDWatch rather than the detailed responses to specific questions many might like to see. These questions will form a basis for ongoing discussion between LAHC and the community during the Master Planning process.

Below are a series of questions from REDWatch relating to the Waterloo redevelopment announcement. As the issues raised in many cases stretch across responsibility areas for UrbanGrowth, LAHC and Housing NSW REDWatch supplied these questions to all three organisations. REDWatch has previously been actively involved in the BEP2 and Housing NSW Draft Master Plan discussions and these discussions inform the questions raised in the attached document. The document is also informed by recent REDWatch forums on the Waterloo development and questions raised with us following the announcement and the subsequent HNSW forums and discussions. As answers to questions become available we will make these available on this website.

Below is the text of the letter dated 8 March 2016 following the Renewing Waterloo Forum. It contains a breif report of the meeting (from HNSW's perspective) and some additional Questions and Answers. It was accompanied by the Q&A sheet that was on the tables at the Renewing Waterloo Forum.

This Question and Answer sheet was produced for the Waterloo Community Meeting on 18th February 2016 and was on the tables at the meeting. I was subsequently mailed out to tenants following the meeting.

This is audio of the presentation by Clover Moore on 15 June 2016 to the Council called public meeting "Packed in - bad planning vs smart growth" to discuss the future of Central to Eveleigh precinct. File is 14.9MB mp3.

This is audio of the statement from Deputy Lord Mayor Irene Doutney read by Clover Moore on 15 June 2016 to the Council called public meeting "Packed in - bad planning vs smart growth" to discuss the future of Central to Eveleigh precinct. File is 4.5MB mp3.

This is audio of the presentation by Mr Graham Jahn AM Director of City Planning, Development and Transport on 15 June 2016 to the Council called public meeting "Packed in - bad planning vs smart growth" to discuss the future of Central to Eveleigh precinct. File is 29MB mp3.

This is audio of the presentation by Geoff Turnbull from REDWatch on 15 June 2016 to the Council called public meeting "Packed in - bad planning vs smart growth" to discuss the future of Central to Eveleigh precinct. File is 9MB mp3.

This is audio of the presentation by Lachlan McDaniel and Aunty Norma Ingram from the City of Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel on 15 June 2016 to the Council called public meeting "Packed in - bad planning vs smart growth" to discuss the future of Central to Eveleigh precinct. File is 8.4MB mp3.

This is audio of the presentation by Richard Weeks - Waterloo Public Housing Action Group on 15 June 2016 to the Council called public meeting "Packed in - bad planning vs smart growth" to discuss the future of Central to Eveleigh precinct. File is 14.1MB mp3.

This is a PDF of the Back to the drawing board postcard distributed by City of Sydney at the Packed In - bad planning vs smart growth public meeting to discuss the future of the Central to Eveleigh precinct on 15 June 2016. This PDF can be downloaded and filled in and sent to the Planning Minister by being dropped in to a Council service centre of sent directly to the Planning Minister.

On 15 June 2016 City of Sydney Council held a public meeting entitled "Packed In – bad planning vs smart growth. The future of the Central to Eveleigh precinct". At the forum they launched a “Back to the drawing board” post card campaign urging its residents to send the cards or other messages to Planning Minister Robert Stokes opposing the proposals currently being prepared by UrbanGrowth Central to Eveleigh.

This is a PDF of the presentation slides used by Mr Graham Jahn AM Director of City Planning, Development and Transport on 15 June 2016 to the Council called public meeting "Packed in - bad planning vs smart growth" to discuss the future of Central to Eveleigh precinct. File is 22.6 MB PDF

This is a pdf copy of the Newsletter distributed to Waterloo public housing tenants on 11 November 2016. It is the first publication issued under the Communities Plus programme for redeveloping this and other housing estates. It seeks to provide some assurances for tenants that the Master Planning will take 18 months and that the Master Plan will produce a staging plan and only when that is complete will they know where on the estate building will start. The newsletter says and that the small number of tenants will need to move will be given 6 months' notice from that point that they will need to relocate for the initial construction. This changes the first relocations from the earlier announced mid-2017 to possibly the end of 2018. Master Planning will start in 2017.

The Waterloo Connect team, along with the NAB, would like to invite you to an end-of-year BBQ on 8 December, 11.30am - 1.30pm at the Waterloo Neighborhood Centre. There will be free food and refreshments so come along and enjoy the festivities.

This framework has emerged from agencies asking Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) to spell out their engagement framework in advance of any actual Master Plan engagement. It follows workshops with agencies in July and August and feedback from agencies to draft frameworks. A meeting at NCIE on November considered a draft and further changes were made after this meeting. This is the public document released in December 2016.

With the finalisation of the "Waterloo Stakeholder and Engagement Framework" in December 2016 LAHC Communities Plus also released on 28 November 2016 agency feedback on an earlier draft. This is that document. It is important to note however that the feedback recorded relates to written feedback received by LAHC and that input made in direct meetings was not reflected in this document. The lesson - it won't necessarily be recorded if it is not in writing!

At the NCIE meeting on November 28 2016 Communities Plus released a summary of past consultations and what lessons they had identified from them - this is that document. You can find further information on the REDWatch website about the 2011-12 BEP2 and the Draft Housing NSW Master Plan consultations and community reactions to them. This document confines itself to the "engagement activities" and does not address the major community concern that the studies and documents produced as part of the earlier consultations should be released now so the community has this information as input into the current process.

The Winter edition of ISV looked in considerable detail at the NSW Government's Communities Plus mechanism for delivering the Government's Future Directions for Social Housing in NSW. The issue looks at the Waterloo announcement and what can be learnt from earlier public housing redevelopments. The issue also contains articles, many by experts in their field, which explore the issues that need to be considered in planning for any public housing redevelopment as currently envisaged. You can download the pdf of this issue from this link or you can visit www.innersydneyvoice.org.au/pub/category/past-editions/winter-2016/ to see the individual articles as webpages.

Discussions are still underway about what studies will be be undertaken in the Waterloo Master Plan which is scheduled to start in 2017. Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) have said the Master Plan will determine where on the estate redevelopment will take place. These delays mean LAHC will not know until well after mid 2017 where they will start and which residents they will want to relocate. On 12 December 2016 it was decided that Waterloo tenants should be advised that the first relocations will be pushed back. A brief statement on the FACS website says LAHC are now looking at relocations starting mid 2018.

The first version of this Community Plus hand out was distribted to agencies on 28 November to agencies. Much of the content is similar to the LAHC response to the REDWatch questions. Please note this is the final version with changes made after the December 12 meeting with Minister Hazzard. This version was modified to recognise that relocations will not take place until mid-2018.